Detroit Mulls Replacing Health Department With Nonprofit
May 16, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Detroit City Council is scheduled to take up a proposal Wednesday to transform the municipal health department into a nonprofit institute, reports the Detroit Free Press.
If approved, it would be the largest such conversion in a major U.S. city, Detroit officials said.
The proposed Institute for Population Health would replace the Department of Health and Wellness Services and operate with a budget of $64.5-million and 250 employees and contractors, down from $71-million and 400 for the public agency. The $6.5-million savings represents the amount now contributed from the city’s general fund.
The institute would continue to provide state-mandated health services such as immunizations, sight and hearing screenings, and restaurant inspections that rely on money from federal, state, and private sources, according to Loretta Davis, director of the health department.
